1847 Will of DeWitt Colonist John
McCrabb(From the DeWitt County Probate Records)

In the name of God, Amen. I, John McCrabb. of said state and county, knowing that it is
appointed unto all men once to die and being in a feeble state of bodily health but of
perfect memory and sound mental faculties do hereby make public or ordain and declare this
to be my last will and testament, revoking all others heretofore made, and by those
present do certify this and this alone to be my only will, as follows
1. I command my soul to God who gave it and my body to the grave.
2. It is my will and decree that all of just debts be paid of my estate.
3. It is my will and request that my tract of 1107 acres on the Guadalupe, near
Mission Valley, be preserved for my beloved wife during her Lifetime and at her death to
be equally divided between my two sons, Joseph Alexander McCrabb
and John Frederick McCrabb.
4. The land I have below Victoria it is my will and decree that it shall be paid for and
that it and the adjoining 2 lots shall be sold at private sales whenever a good price or
opportunity should off or and that the money arising therefrom be applied to the education
and support of my children to the best advantage as my executrix may determine.
5. The lands I have on the Arinosa I wish to be secured by patent - about 2021 acres - and
the lands I have on the main Colett in this county I wish to be patented about 1476 acres
- out of which 366 acres is to be deeded to Joseph Tumlinson when
he makes a deed to the land I now live on, about 192 1/2 acres.
6. It is my will. and I give and bequeath to my daughters, Mary Jane and Susan Elizabeth,
my Coletto lands equally between them after making a deed of 366 acres as stated above to
Joseph Tumlinson.
7. I give and bequeath to my 2 sons and 2 daughters aboved named my lands on the
Arinosa to be equally divided among them.
8. To my brother-in-law, Jacob A. Miller, 150 acres of my land on Coletto to be taken
according to quality as he may choose to be bounded by any one of the out boundary lines.
After this deduction out of the lands, then my 2 daughters mentioned in the 6th clause of
my will are to have my Coletto lands equally divided between them.
9. I give and bequeath to my son, Joseph Alexander McCrabb, 640 acres lying on the
Leon-branch of the Arinosa in Victoria County.
10. I give and bequeath to my son, John Frederick McCrabb, 320 acres of land in
Gonzales County on the waters of Nash Creek which land is patented.
11. I give to my 2 daughters my block town lots in Victoria to be equally divided
between them, said 4 lots near Margaret Queen's lots.
12. To my 2 sons I bequeath 1 lot in Victoria on Market Square - John Frederick to have of
lot fronting market square and Joseph Alexander to have the other fronting on the street
by Rodger's store and Dr. Raglin's shop.
13. My 3 town lots in Victoria lying on the river I give to my 2 sons, each to have
1 front lot and 1 of the back lot.
14. My land in the town of Victoria on a 15 block of 27 1/2 acres I give to my beloved
wife, Mary, to be at her disposal to assist her in raising the children.
15. The land I now live on consisting of 1921 acres I give to my beloved wife Mary, to be
at her disposal.
16. My will is that each of the children shall have 1 horse apiece and the children are to
have the cattle they now claim.
17. I will all the balance of my homes and cattle and hogs and household and kitchen
furniture to my beloved wife during her natural life, and what debits I may have due me in
notes or accounts I give unto her, requesting her to apply them to getting my patents on
the above lands.
18. It is my will that 300 acres part adjoining Fayette County, shall be sold at
private sale and the proceeds I give to my beloved wife, Mary, to be at her disposal.
19. It is my will and desire that nothing be done in probate court with my estate, except
probating this will.
20. Lastly, I hereby appoint my beloved wife. Mary, executrix to this my last will and
testament, revoking all others as heretofore named. In witness whereof I
hereunto set my hand and seal this 4th day of November, 1847. John McCrabb
Testators - James Norman Smith Jacob A. Miller
X mark of Sarah Barnes. County of DeWitt - State of Texas.

Page 200, Book A, DeWitt County Deed Records.
Title bond of Joseph Tumlinson given to John McCrabb July 24, 1847, the condition of which
is that Joseph Tumlinson bargained to John McCrabb a certain tract of land being a part of
the Joseph Tumlinson headright and also part of the tract of William Taylor, the upper
part being at the mouth of Spring Branch at the Guadalupe River, etc. (The "certain
tract of land" contained 1922 acres and John McCrabb and family were living there at
the date the bargain was made.) In return for the 1921 acres from Joseph Tumlinson John
McCrabb bargained to let Joseph Tumlinson have part of a tract of land that John McCrabb
owned on the Coletto.

Page 316, Book C. Filed May 10, 1851
and reads thus: "This indenture made April 29, 1851 between Joseph Tumlinson
and Mary McCrabb executrix of the Estate of John McCrabb for and in consideration of a
dead of conveyance for 384 acres of land deeded to me by said Mary McCrabb on the waters
of Coletto according to bond filed and recorded have bargained sold and conveyed to Mary
McGrabb, executrix of John McCrabb will and testament, a certain tract or parcel of land
(192 1/2 acres) lying on Guadalupe River - a part of my headright. Signed
Joseph (hisXmark) Tumlinson

Minutes of Probate Records. Book B, pp. 21-22.
October term of court A.D. 1850: "Petition of Mary McCrabb praying to be
appointed guardian for minor heirs of John McCrabb, deceased, under 14 years of age,
namely Mary Jane, John Frederick, and Susan Elizabeth." Court granted the
petition. "Joseph McCrabb. over 14 years of age, did come into court and make
choice of his Mother as guardian." So ordered. Mary McCrabb gave bond of $5000.
Joseph Tumlinson and Louis I. Brisette went security for her.

John Frederick (Buck)
McCrabb was the youngest of the John and Mary Miller McCrabb children. He
was born February 11, 1846 in the home where, about 21 years later, his father passed
away. "Buck" McCrabb received only a limited education in the early day schools.
In 1863, at 17 years of age, he left school at Clinton to enter the Confederate Army in
S.H. Hudson's Company of Independent Scouts and served in the Rio Grande Valley until the
close of the war. Buck then returned to DeWitt County where he engaged in raising cattle
and became one of the best stockmen of the locality--he owned
7,000 acres of land (4,000 acres in one tract near Thomaston). "He had 150 acres
of good bottom land in cultivation and the other in pastures". (Quote is taken
from the book, "The Lone Star State", printed in 1894). On March 21, 1883, J.F.
McCrabb was married to Cora Augustine - daughter of Dave and Mary Augustine. Dave was a
native Texan and was one of the earliest citizens to come to live in the Shiloh Community.
Mary was born in Springfield, Missouri and came to Texas at an early age. Cora Augustine
was born April 26, 1865 at Shiloh near present Cuero. She attended school at Clinton. The
records show she joined the Presbyterian Church there on June 29, 1879. John Frederick
(Buck) McCrabb came to his death accidentially. He was driving a term of young horses that
ran away and overturned the wagon. After his death in 1909, the management of the large
holdings of land and cattle fell to his wife who was assisted by their son, John Samuel
McCrabb. J.F. McCrabb was also survived by his daughter, Mary E. McCrabb Atkinson and
three grandchildren, Jessie E. McCrabb, J.F. McCrabb, and Mary Lee McCrabb.

Joseph Alexander McCrabb.
Joseph Alexander McCrabb was born about 1835 to John and Mary Miller McCrabb. He was with
his mother in Texana while his father served in the Texas Army. From 1839-1841 the family
lived at Victoria. Sometime about 1845, the McCrabb family moved to a home on the east
bank of the Guadalupe River on land they secured from Joseph Tumlinson.There were few, if any, schools in this section in those early
days. It would seem most probable that Joe and his sisters were taught by their father in
the home when they were small, and that later they went to the school taught by Rev. J.M.
Connelly at Clinton. About 1867, Joseph Alexander McCrabb was married to Sarah Jane
McDonald, the daughter of William J. and Lucy Ann McDonald. Sarah was born in October 1849
in Alabama. In 1852, she and her older sister, Lucy Charlotte, came with their father and
his parents and three brothers to Texas to live in the Prices Creek section of DeWitt
County. The mother Lucy Ann McDonald died about 1851 in Alabama. William married a second
time in 1856. Lucy and Sarah supposedly lived with their father and stepmother at Blue
Mott and later, on the old Borland Ranch on the Guadalupe River in Victoria County. It is
not known where Lucy and Sarah went to school. For a time after Joe and Sarah were married
they lived in the home with his mother. For a number of years they lived in their home
about a mile from Cuero and not far from his mother. On April 19, 1877 Joseph A. McCrabb
sold to Thomas Bates a place on Irish Creek, southeast of Cuero. On January 24, 1881,
Joseph bought from Richard C. and Eliza Bates Warn, 1125 acres of the Amadore survey and
all improvements for $5,000. The two-story house on this place then became the home of Joe
and Sarah McCrabb and their two daughters and two sons. Prior to his marriage, Joe McCrabb
served as a Confederate soldier. Upon his return to civilian life, Joe became a very
successful farmer and stockman and continued this work the remainder of his life. He was
also, a 32nd degree Mason in the lodge at Cuero. In December, 1883, Lucy McCrabb passed
away only one day old. Mother Sarah remained ill for months. She died on March 8,1884 in
her home near Thomaston. Sarah was thirty four years old. Joe's younger brother, John
Frederick (Buck) and his wife Cora, and their daughter, Mary, were living with his mother
in the old him and his motherless children go to live his mother. Joe and several others
were taking sitting up with Jim Cottingham who was seriously ill in his home near Burns
Station. On a freezing cold December night, Joe rode back to fulfill his vigil with the
sick. He soon took a very severe cold and developed double pneumonia. He died on December
20, 1885. Joe and Sarah's children were: Mary Jane (Mollie) was born August 13, 1868. John
William McCrabb was born about 1870. Annie born in 1873, and Joseph (Jodie) MeCrabb born
about 1875. Also, three children died as infants: Jimmie McCrabb was born after 1875 but
only Iived seven months. Mandy McCrabb was born died at eighteen months of age. Lucy
McCrabb only lived one day in 1883. Beth Dietze and Mary Lee Smith (From
The History of DeWitt County Texas. Reprinted by permission of Curtis Media Corporation)